Ireland politics (Part 1)

Agreed. I canā€™t understand Coveney for example being moved out of an important portfolio, housing, having only went into it a year ago. All this old pallaver then from Coveney all this time about how theyā€™re going to build all these new houses imminently under his watch and that he has a plan. I understand Leo wanted his mate Eoghan Murphy in the cabinet but why not put Murphy on something else and leave Coveney where he was? Give Murphy the jobs portfolio after Mary Mitchell Oā€™Connor was booted out. Perfect. But now what we have is both of them on new portfolios trying to get to grips with their new role for the first few months, losing any momentum Coveney had gathered up on housing. It only makes sense if Coveney privately really pushed to be taken off housing. I imagine it would be very boring in comparison to the chief politician on Brexit which would further his profile at home and abroad as well.

I also canā€™t get my head around that gimp Charlie Flanagan going to justice. It would make you despair if you thought about it too much.

The deckchairs will be moved again soon enough.

To leave Coveney at Housing would be seen as a massive insult to him and Leo needs to bring along the Coveney backers with him seen as they are most of the party.
Housing is a poison chalice. Murphy canā€™t be much of a friend.

Murphy is a future rival for the leadership

The role in housing should set him back a few years anyway. Leo has learned some tricks from Enda it would seem.

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Are you saying heā€™s a backstabber?

I read somewhere that Eoghan Murphy is the grandson of the lad that suckered Gaybo into giving him his life savings which leaves me somewhat conflicted on him.

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On what basis? That heā€™s a handsome, well spoken chap?

Thatā€™s not much of a basis.

I wouldnā€™t have thought Murphy would be any sort of credible threat to become FG leader one day?

Yep hes russell Murphyā€™s grandson. I worked with eoghans uncle Whoā€™s a thoroughly alright sort

He is. Russell Murphy. He was an awful cad. He diddled Hugh Leonardā€™s money too. Itā€™s hard to fault him over his choice of victim. My recollection is that he spent in on a renowned beauty who used to write for the Sunday papers. His father is either a senior counsel or a judge.

In fairness you can choose your friends but you canā€™t choose your family.

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Well the last leader could barely speak and he was the parties longest serving leader in history, so heā€™s one up on him

Iā€™d say heā€™s a slam dunk for it. Or at least he thinks he is.

The father is a silk. The best thing about Russellā€™s ripoff is that heā€™d ring gaybo saying heā€™d found a first edition book or a painting for him and heā€™d send it over by taxi. Little did gaybo realise all of this was coming from his own money :smiley:

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Sorry, when I said ā€œwell spokenā€ I meant that he has a clipped South Dublin accent, although there is an element of nasal interference in it. He also has a very slight lisp.

Heā€™s a bit like Ed Miliband in that regard, and also in terms of how he looks. His politics are considerably to the right of Mr. Miliband however.

In terms of the content of what he says, heā€™s certainly no better than Mr. Kenny, considerably worse in my view. I havenā€™t been impressed with him at all when Iā€™ve heard him debating on television and radio.

I donā€™t see him being a credible future leader of Fine Gael at all.

ā€œYouā€™ll be astounded at the reaction on Twitter to Irelandā€™s first gay PMā€

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I donā€™t see him being a credible future leader of Fine Gael at all.
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The current one isnā€™t credible either

Murphy is excellent but is too southside for the role at this stage.

Gay Byrne used to tell parents that their kids should bring their own fizzy drinks to his kids birthday parties so Russell did a good thing imo.

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Why?

There is lots of housing stock coming on stream in the next 18 months, including social housing. Heā€™ll be cutting a lot of ribbons.

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